Shearer: Rodgers should start as Bellingham needs more observation

According to The Sun, Alan Shearer has advised Gareth Southgate to be bold with his selections for England's opening World Cup match.

Shearer wants Southgate to pick Morgan Rogers over Bellingham in England's much-debated number 10 role, despite what the shirt numbers might suggest.

The shirt numbers for the Three Lions' 26-man squad have been leaked ahead of England's journey to the USA, Canada, and Mexico World Cup. 22-year-old Bellingham will wear the number 10 shirt, despite having an injury-affected season at Real Madrid; 23-year-old Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers will wear the number 17 shirt.

For England's group stage matches against Croatia, Ghana, and Panama, Shearer, who made 63 appearances for England scoring 30 goals, believes Rogers has earned a starting spot with his performances, especially after helping Villa win the Europa Conference League.

The former Newcastle striker would opt for a "trusty" three-man midfield consisting of Morgan Rogers, Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson, and Arsenal's Declan Rice. His envisioned attack would feature Bayern's Harry Kane, Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, and Barcelona's Marcus Rashford.

Speaking to The Sun Sport as a Betfair ambassador, Shearer said: "As it stands, Rogers is probably just ahead."

"I mean, Bellingham has had one or two injury issues, and Rogers has been excellent when he's had his chances."

"So I think it will be Rogers starting. As for Bellingham, we'll have to wait and see."

"Rogers is fantastic. He's genuinely very talented. He's earned his place at the World Cup, and I hope he performs very well."

"I'm a big admirer of his. I like his playing style and his attitude, and I hope he plays very well."

"Obviously, the starting XI for the first game won't be the same for every match, nor will they play throughout the entire tournament."

"If there's any manager who can handle big-name players being left out of the starting lineup, it's this manager."

"Compared to when I played in the 1998 World Cup, the significant difference now is that it won't be the same starting lineup all the way through."

"The entire squad will be involved and will be trying to find a way through games, especially in this environment."

Shearer, 55, will be covering the tournament as a pundit for English media and will also be working with Gary Lineker on the Netflix show "The Rest Is Football."

Despite facing over 20 million British viewers, Shearer still approaches the job as he did when he was a player.

The Premier League's all-time leading scorer with 260 goals, he said: "One thing I've learned in my 20 years in media is that as long as England is in the tournament, it feels great, and the atmosphere is good."

"But once England is out, everything suddenly cools down. So the longer England stays in, the better it is for all of us."

"Commentary has similarities to being a player. You have to find a way not to think about the large audience."

"I think once the game starts, if England performs well, you naturally get into a state of excitement as much as possible."

"You also have to strike a balance: I'm a commentator, not a fan on the night. I just need to try and describe the game as it is, whether it's good or bad."

"I'll be flying back and forth to New York, and the mileage will be ridiculously high."

"I know where I'm going for the first two weeks. But after that, because of the draw, we'll have to wait and see if we're going to Canada or Mexico. But I'm really looking forward to it."